


Moving On

by Shujinkakusama



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-25 23:36:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7551532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shujinkakusama/pseuds/Shujinkakusama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garnet catches Pearl alone after her trip to Empire City. Nothing ever changes. // Past Rosepearl, set after "Mr. Greg."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving On

“Nice suit.”

 

Pearl jumped at the compliment, startled out of her thoughts by Garnet’s voice. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting in the dark in the living room, lost in thoughts that never seemed to stop swirling even now, but she certainly hadn’t heard the door, or sensed her best friend’s arrival.

 

“Garnet,” she breathed, raising a hand over her pounding heart. Her palm met high quality fabric, a strange feeling against her fingers, and she looked down at her tuxedo. “Ah… Thank you. Greg had one tailored for each of us.”

 

The Fusion smiled faintly, motioning for her to move over before sinking down next to her. Pearl’s nervous hands straightened her tuxedo compulsively, smoothed along the crease of her pants, and Garnet gathered her hands up to still them.

 

“It suits you,” Garnet said quietly. “No wonder Sardonyx wears something like it. You’ve always been fashion-forward.”

 

It was the first time Garnet had mentioned their Fusion in months, much less something positive. Still, it had shame burning in Pearl’s gut, fresh embers that never seemed to fully die, and she looked away.

 

“I’m still sorry about that,” Pearl started, and Garnet shook her head.

 

“It’s in the past. I didn’t bring it up to make you feel bad.”

 

She always felt bad, Pearl thought sourly. There was so much _to_ feel guilty for, one way or another. She still felt petty and small, and guilt-riddled. Greg had been quicker to forgive than she deserved, and Garnet’s willingness to let her try again…

 

“You know me,” Pearl said dully, “Can’t move on from anything.”

 

“From what little I saw of your trip, I’d disagree,” Garnet said, pointing to her visor to indicate her third eye. “You and Greg finally made some progress. Do you feel better?”

 

“I want to,” Pearl said, sighing heavily. She squeezed the hand that still held hers. “I want to so badly, Garnet. I want to move forward. I want…” the alabaster Gem shook her head, leaning forward to press her face against her best friend’s shoulder. “Greg knows I don’t hate him, at least. I feel better about that.”

 

“But you don’t feel better about something else.”

 

The smaller Gem nodded faintly, saying nothing for several long minutes. Then she sighed. “It’s been so long, Garnet… Why isn’t it over?” she whispered, gripping Garnet’s hand tightly. “Why can’t I move on?”

 

Garnet chuckled, much to Pearl’s surprise, and she pressed a light kiss into Pearl’s wavy hair. “Fourteen years is a long time for humans,” she agreed faintly, “But fourteen years next to… what, seven thousand? Eight thousand?”

 

“Nine,” Pearl murmured, “I was Rose’s for over nine thousand years.”

 

“A much longer time,” Garnet whispered into Pearl’s hair. “Nobody’s blaming you. You’ll move on when you’re ready.”

 

“I’m ready,” Pearl insisted, drawing back to look up at Garnet, brows furrowed, lips pursed into a frown. Blue dusted her pale cheeks, born from equal parts embarrassment and frustration. “I’m so ready. Garnet, you know how I—“

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Garnet interrupted her gently, “I can wait. We have all the time in the world.”

 

Pearl’s gaze dropped, and she squeezed Garnet’s longer fingers softly. “I don’t want you to have to wait,” she whispered, “I want to be ready. I—I want to _move on_. She’d want me to. I want to. I know you want me to. But I _can’t_ , and it’s so frustrating…”

 

The Fusion shushed her, reaching a partially gloved hand up to brush along the curve of her cheek. “We’re on a good path,” she said, voice low, “I don’t think it’ll be long. Not comparatively.” She paused, then leaned down to press a light kiss to Pearl’s cheek. “Maybe even this year.”

 

“You’ve said that for two years,” Pearl muttered dejectedly, closing her eyes and leaning into her touch. “I keep pushing it back, don’t I? I’m sorry.”

 

“We don’t have very good luck with timing,” Garnet admitted, pulling the smaller Gem into a hug and running her knuckles down from between her shoulders to the small of her back, just above her hips. “But I’m confident we’ll get it right one day.”

 

Pearl sighed, obviously unsatisfied with that, but she wound her arms around Garnet’s waist and pressed as close as she could. “I just want it to be over,” she whispered, “I want to be over it. I want to be with _you_ , Garnet. I don’t want to keep missing her.”

 

Garnet chuckled. “Soon,” she promised, stroking Pearl’s back and shoulders soothingly. “I promise, soon, we’ll be together.”

 

The noise Pearl made wasn’t exactly doubtful, but was a far cry from satisfied. But she sighed breezily into Garnet’s collar, closing her eyes. “I love you,” Pearl murmured, “I’ve never been unclear on that.”

 

“I know,” Garnet matched her whisper, close to the shell of her ear. Pearl shuddered in her arms, and Garnet held her a little tighter. “I’ve known all along. I’ve never doubted.”

 

It had been eons already, and would last for eons more. Garnet knew without a doubt that Pearl would love her until the end of time, one way or another—much the same way she would Rose. She didn’t mind waiting. It was unfortunate, but unavoidable.

 

“And I love you,” Garnet reminded her, “Always have. We’ll get to it when the time is right, Pearl. Believe me.”

 

“I do.”

 

And she did. Pearl didn’t doubt Garnet’s predictions. Still, she ruminated in her guilt, in her longing for the ghost of Rose Quartz. Garnet was everything Rose hadn’t been, hadn’t been able to offer her, and she cursed herself for being willfully blind to their mutual feelings.

 

Even if it led them here, to snuggling on a couch in a tiny, quaint beach house, raising Rose’s son together. It wasn’t the future her younger self would have yearned for or imagined. But it was a path worth traveling. It was a good place to stop until she could move on.

 

 


End file.
